More reviews ’cause I’m writing and teaching and travelling and parenting–

Well, folks…I had hoped to finish the History of the Medieval World by the end of the summer, but I’m still writing away–which means that I’m feelingly particularly miserly with my time just now, since I scheduled teaching at William & Mary for this fall and also agreed to a certain amount of travelling for The Art of the Public Grovel. Just now every minute is devoted to 1) medieval history and 2) meeting my other commitments, one at a time. It feels a little bit like a video game. Not one of the ones where you’re travelling through a landscape, meeting and surmounting obstacles one at a time on your journey.

More like one where you’re standing in one place, fending off enormous objects that threaten to hit you.

Also I’m getting ready for a week in which I’ll throw two birthday parties (Em is turning eight, Dan is turning twelve) AND go to London to do publicity for the U.K. edition of the Art of the Public Grovel. Yeah, I know, it’s a tough life.

One of my goals for the next year is to move from “fending off obstacles” mode into “making journey through difficult landscape” mode. I’m not quite there yet. Anyway, you’ll have to forgive me if this week’s blog post is mostly links. Here’s the Page 99 Test, the Financial Times review, and a thoughtful Salon.com essay/review by Laura Miller.

I can’t believe it. I was scheduled to be in London next week, but it got changed! I think I’m supposed to go in November (right before T-day, which I am hosting, and subsequently having panic attacks about handling now that my trip got moved, thankyouverymuch), but my life is nowhere near as hectic, sending good wishes and I would so be there if I could. Happy birthday to your two. Can you get out of the video game any time soon?